Regret
by whitenight-sapphire
Summary: Regret always comes late. After all that has happened, all Rukia can do is cry. SIDE STORY ADDED
1. Regret

**Sapphire09:** This story is originally made by a friend of mine, Chariot330 (There's a link to there in this profile). It was in Indonesian, so I translated it to English. Though... I know that my English isn't that good...

**Disclaimer: **Story by Chariot330, Bleach by Kubo Tite, and the song is by John Denver. I can only take the credit for translating this.

Note: Try reading this while listening to the song! By the way, the italics on the center are the lyrics, while those on the right side are thoughts.

Enjoy \(^^)/

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_All my bags are packed I'm ready to go_

_I'm standing here outside your door_

_I hate to wake you up to say goodbye._

_But the dawn is breaking it's early morning_

_The taxi is waiting, he is blowing his horn_

_Already I'm so lonesome, I could cry_

Ichigo stared at her beloved wife, Rukia, who is currently sleeping. They had a big fight last night. It was so bad that Rukia even asked for a divorce. However, Ichigo understands why Rukia did what she did. Rukia must have suspicions since he always went for leave outside the city for days.

Even this time, he'll go for a leave again. He's all ready to go even before the sun is up. He didn't mean to tell her because he knows she'll say, "Then just go! Don't even dare to ever come back!!" and then she'll ignore him. Ichigo stared at the beautiful girl that lie on the bed and stroke her face lovingly. No matter how bad they've fought, his love for her is still true.

_So kiss me and smile for me_

_Tell me that you wait for me_

_Hold me like you never let me go_

Ichigo let the distance between his face and hers grew closer before he kissed her forehead tenderly. Truthfully, he doesn't want to leave her like this. He still loves Rukia with all his heart. Ichigo holds her hand in his gently.

"Rukia, I love you. I really do," he said. However, Rukia is still asleep and unresponsive.

_I'm leaving on a jetplane,_

_I don't know when I'll be back again_

_Oh babe I hate to go_

The sound of a taxi's horn blows up outside. He has to leave his wife now. Leaving the wife he loves so much, alone again. It pained his heart that he has to leave Rukia. He wanted to be with her, always. Every time he had to go, it had been a burden in his heart to leave Rukia. The horn blows again for the second time. He quickly left the room to the taxi. However, before he left, he looks back to Rukia's sleeping figure and smiled.

_There is so many times I've let you down_

_So many times I've played around_

_I tell you now they don't mean a thing._

_Every place I go I think of you_

_Every song I sing I sing for you._

_When I come back I wear your wedding-ring_

Inside the airplane, Ichigo pulls out a piece of photo. In it, there is a picture of him and Rukia in their wedding outfit. They were genuinely happy at that time. Don't know why, he suddenly felt a terrible loss. He suddenly missed Rukia very much, so much that he let out drops of tears.

Soon, the plane will be taking off. Ichigo wears the seatbelt and lie on his back as he holds the picture tightly in his hand. In his heart, he promised that this will be the last time he'll be leaving Rukia. He won't leave her again, ever.

_So kiss me and smile for me_

_Tell me that you wait for me_

_Hold me like you never let me go_

The plane soon flies above the ground to the sky. Ichigo looks down from the window, to see the sea of white clouds. He smiled before he takes out a pen and writes something on the back of the picture he was holding. Ichigo smiled a satisfied smile after he's done writing and see what he just wrote.

Suddenly, the plane is shaking abnormally. It seems the engine of the plane is having a break down. Ichigo then holds the picture tightly in his hand.

_Is this the end of my life?_

_Can't I ever see Rukia again?_

_If so… Then, who'll take care of her? Protect her? Love her?_

Those are the words that pass through Ichigo's head. He's really afraid if he's really dying. It's not because he feared death, but because he feared to leave Rukia. But, what can he do. The plane he's in cannot be saved anymore. Panic. Confusion. Fear. Every one felt that. But Ichigo can only cries in the midst of that. He doesn't want Rukia to be alone again…

_I'm leaving on a jetplane,_

_I don't know when I'll be back again_

_Oh babe I hate to go_

The sound of the phone call wakes Rukia from her sleep.

"Ichigo… Pick up the phone …" Rukia asked lazily as she buried herself deeper in her pillows. But, she receives no response from Ichigo. Rukia rubs the bed beside her. Ichigo isn't there. Rukia quickly woke up. _"Ah… He must be leaving again,"_ she said inwardly. She then walks to the living room to pick up the phone.

"Hello… Yes, Kurosaki here," Rukia greeted softly. The caller then murmured from the phone.

"Yes, that's right, I'm Mrs. Kurosaki. Did something happen to my husband?" she asked back. Her voice is a bit worried now. Another murmur, and she suddenly went rigid in shock.

"No….It can't be… No way! How could that happened??!!" Rukia cried before she dropped the phone, leaving it hanging.

"Ichigo… Why are you leaving me? Don't you love me anymore?"

_Now the time has come to leave you_

_One more time let me kiss you_

_Close your eyes, and I'll be on my way_

_Dream about the days to come_

_I wont have to leave alone, and I wont have to say_

Rukia and the others are standing on the side of Ichigo's coffin. Rukia's tears are still running. Drops of tears are still falling. The endless regret she felt makes it even harder on her.

"Rukia, it's time for the funeral," Renji said as he tapped on Rukia's shoulder.

"Renji… That night… The night before his death… I told him to leave… I was so angry… I didn't know it'll end like this…" Rukia said as she cried.

Byakuya then came closer to her, before holding her in a comforting gesture.

"Rukia, I've felt what you feel now. Now is not the time to feel sorry for what have happened. Kurosaki will be sad. It'll be better if you bid him the last farewell and move on," Bykuya said before he releases his beloved sister. Rukia nodded.

_So kiss me and smile for me_

_Tell me that you wait for me_

_Hold me like you never let me go_

She then brings herself closer to Ichigo's coffin. She put her face close to Ichigo's, before she put her tiny lips to Ichigo's cold ones, kissing him. She let a few tears fell to Ichigo's pale face. It was the last kiss from Rukia to Ichigo.

"I really love you, Ichigo…. Despite everything that happened, I still love you. I'll see you later, Ichigo… We'll meet again… someday… in heaven."

_I'm leaving on a jetplane,I don't know when I'll be back again._

_I'm leaving on a jetplane,I don't know when I'll be back again._

_I'm leaving on a jetplane,I don't know when I'll be back again._

That tragedy… It sends Ichigo below the ground, leaving Rukia alone. She can't hold her tears back anymore as she sees the funeral. She realized she won't see Ichigo anymore. Her endless regret…. It makes her fell to a state of depression until Renji gave her something.

"This was founded with Ichigo's corpse when the Rescue Team founded him. He held it tightly, so it became darkened."

Rukia takes the paper and unfolds it. It's the picture of both of them, in their wedding day. Rukia's tears fell again. She then turns back the picture. Her hands are shaking and her tears are falling non-stop. She fell on her knees beside Ichigo's grave as she read what Ichigo wrote before he died.

"Ichigo…You stupid fool!"

Eternity love. Ichigo + Rukia. I will never leave you, ever…

_Oh babe I hate to go._

Ichigo hugs Rukia who is on her knees on the side of his grave. He knew Rukia won't be able to see him. But, he believes that she can feel him. Ichigo's body is starting to disappear then.

"Rukia… I'm sorry that I have leave you… I love you… forever."

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**Sapphire09:** I hope I didn't make too many mistakes....

**Chariot330 & Sapphire09 :** Please tell us what you think !!

**Chariot330: **We accept constructive criticism !


	2. SIDE STORY

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**SIDE STORY**

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A gentle wind breezes through; passing a figure that is standing in front of an Elementary school. The wind blows a few strands of that person's dark hair. A hand then reached up to fix the long fringe that has been scrambled by the wind.

The bell then rings loudly, signing that the school is over. Children then started to flowing out of the building, towards their respecting parents.

"Byakuya ji-sama!!" a certain girl around 8 years old with orange-colored hair called. Her eyes are in the color of violet and her hair, which went down to her shoulder, is gently swayed by the wind as she ran towards the dark-haired figure.

Byakuya waves his hand to the girl in acknowledgement as she ran to him. When she arrives to where he's standing she stopped and catches her breaths.

"Haah…haa—h… J-Ji-sama, is Okaa-chan home yet?" she asked excitedly. Byakuya smiled at the innocent question before he bends down and pats the girl's head tenderly. His smile did not reach his eyes, though.

"Why? Does Ichigo miss Kaa-chan?" Byakuya asked softly as he pats the child's head.

"Of course! I miss Kaa-chan so-o much!" Ichigo answered energetically and a little bit whiney. Byakuya then takes her small hand in his as he leads her inside the car. He puts her in the passenger seat and helps her to put on her seatbelt before he also comes in to the car on to the driver's seat and locks the doors.

Inside the car, the little Ichigo is bouncing happily. Thank goodness Byakuya put on the seat belt for her.

"Ji-sama, listen to this! Today Akito-kun's mother brought Akito-kun an Ichigo daifuku! Hehehe… Isn't that funny?" she giggled, but Byakuya only smiled a small bitter smile.

"Really? Does Ichigo want one too? Ji-sama will make one for you, but sit down first, okay?" Byakuya scolded lightly. Ichigo then stopped bouncing and flopped down on her seat as she frowned.

"I don't want that! I want the one Kaa-chan makes! When will Kaa-chan come home?" Ichigo whined to her uncle. Byakuya's eyes then got saddened by this.

"Not so soon, Ichigo-kun. Kaa-chan is accompanying Tou-chan now, so she can't be with Ichigo-kun," Byakuya answered as cheerfully as he can as he pinched the cheek of the little girl beside him.

"Tou-chan?" she asked confusedly as her face became sorrowful.

"I've never seen Tou-chan before… Was it Tou-chan that made Kaa-chan refused to be with me again? The last time I saw Kaa-chan was 2 years ago… Why Tou-chan wouldn't let Kaa-chan come back? Were Kaa-chan and Tou-chan didn't love me anymore?" she asked sadly.

Those are innocent questions, which Byakuya could not answer. Countless of times he had lied to the little girl, wrapping the real truth with lies.

Byakuya then calmed himself before he turned to her and stared at her like a kicked puppy, a small smile still visible on his face. "Then would Ichigo-kun leave Ji-sama alone to follow Tou-chan and Kaa-chan?"

The girl then looked at him with horror on her face as she shakes her head. "No! I will never leave Ji-sama. If I do, then no one will be keeping Ji-sama accompanied!" she said.

Byakuya was touched to hear her exclamation. He truly felt guilty for keeping the truth to himself, but what can he do? He won't know what to do if the girl breaks down when hearing that she had become an orphan.

She's still so innocent… so naïve…. So young.

Byakuya smiled a small, bitter smile after Ichigo's exclamation. Ichigo, who saw Byakuya smile, also smiled to him and pulls out a piece of paper that is titled: ATASHI NO KAZOKU

Byakuya's eyes widened upon seeing the picture.

"Ji-sama! Look at this! I drew Kaa-chan, Tou-chan, me, and of course, Ji-sama!" she said as she pointed one of the person in the picture with black, shoulder length hair. The picture is not really clear, since it is a child's drawing, but Byakuya can clearly see which one is which in the picture that Ichigo drew.

He saw Ichigo, Rukia, little Ichigo, and himself, currently holding the hand of the little Ichigo. He trailed his sight to under the picture, to see some sentences, written in child-like scrawls.

_This is my family. Even though I never see Tou-chan and rarely see Kaa-chan, which are busy working, I love them the most. There's also Byakuya Ji-sama, who was taking care of me since little and always taking me for a walk or a ride around. I never got bored with Ji-sama._

_I love them all the most._

_Thank you Tou-chan and Kaa-chan, for giving birth to me. I missed you and I wanted to meet you so bad._

_And thank you Ji-sama, for always erasing my sorrow and being with me every time I'm lonely._

Byakuya felt his eyes are stinging. He can't hold off his feelings anymore.

"It's good, isn't it Ji-sama? Sensei said that my picture is the best!" the girl said cheerfully with a big, shy smile etched on her face.

Seeing this little girl, smiling so innocently… So little…. So naïve….

Guilt, sadness, and pain… All mixed into one. His eyes then blurred as tears fell down from his eyes, trailing down his cheek.

The smile the little girl had before disappeared once she saw water trailing down from her beloved uncle's eyes.

"Byakuya Ji-sama…?" she asked softly and concerned.

It hurts… This secret is tormenting him… But, seeing her naïveté, innocence… He can't destroy her hopes…

"Ji-sama…? Why are you crying…?"

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**Sapphire09:** Now it's truly done.

**Chariot330 + Sapphire09 :** Please tell us what you think!!


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